A stroke is a blood clot in a vessel in the brain. Rapid identification can
lead to treatment and frequently full recovery.

I got this in email, and have posted it here.

It
only takes a minute to read this. . .
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can
totally reverse the effects of a stroke . . . totally. He said the trick
was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient
medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING
A STROKE
Remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the
lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain
damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:
S
*Ask
the individual to SMILE.
T *Ask
the person to TALK to SPEAK
A SIMPLE SENTENCE(Coherently)
(i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R
*Ask
him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.NOTE:
Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue.
If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other
that is also an indication of a stroke.
If
he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and
describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.